In this provocative study, Bedau demonstrates the usefulness of "casuistry," or "the method of cases" in arriving at moral decisions. He examines well-known cases, including the aftermath of the sinking of the William Brown in 1841, that compel us to consider questions about who ought to survive when not all can. By doing so, we learn something about how we actually reason concerning such life and death situations, as well as about how we ought to reason if we wish both to be consistent and to properly respect human life. Bedau's elegant book will be a valuable resource for students, philosophers, and general readers.

Author Bio

Bedau, Hugo Adam : Tufts University

Hugo Adam Bedau is Austin Fletcher Professor of Philosophy at Tufts University. He is the author or editor of several books on civil disobedience and on the death penalty, including his most recent, The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies (OUP, 1997).

In this provocative study, Bedau demonstrates the usefulness of "casuistry," or "the method of cases" in arriving at moral decisions. He examines well-known cases, including the aftermath of the sinking of the William Brown in 1841, that compel us to consider questions about who ought to survive when not all can. By doing so, we learn something about how we actually reason concerning such life and death situations, as well as about how we ought to reason if we wish both to be consistent and to properly respect human life. Bedau's elegant book will be a valuable resource for students, philosophers, and general readers.

Author Bio

Bedau, Hugo Adam : Tufts University

Hugo Adam Bedau is Austin Fletcher Professor of Philosophy at Tufts University. He is the author or editor of several books on civil disobedience and on the death penalty, including his most recent, The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies (OUP, 1997).